-9346-5418-8716-a19cd57b8f65">
He came to a dead stop and swallowed hard.
Every bit of what she was wearing was borrowed. Yet somehow his new assistant managed to look like a fashion model for an outdoor company. Suddenly, he realized that Dylan was correct. Libby Parkhurst had a kick-ass body.
Libby’s eyes snapped open, her expression guarded. “Good morning,” she said.
He hated the guilt that choked him. “Libby, I—”
She held up a hand, stopping his instinctive words. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
They stared at each other for several long seconds. He forced himself to zero in on basics.
He slid one backpack off his shoulder. “I need to make sure the straps are adjusted correctly for you.” Without asking, he stepped behind her and helped settle the pack into position. With a few quick tugs, he was satisfied. Finally, he moved in front of her and fiddled with the strap at her chest.
Libby made some kind of squawk or gasp. It was only then he realized his fingers were practically caressing her breasts. He stepped back quickly. “I’m sure you can manage the waistband,” he muttered.
“Uh-huh.” She kept her head down while she fiddled with the plastic locking mechanism. After a moment, she stared off into the woods. “I’m good.”
* * *
How to Sleep with the Boss is part of The Kavanaghs of Silver Glen series: In the mountains of North Carolina, one family discovers that wealth means nothing without love.
How to Sleep
with the Boss
Janice Maynard
USA TODAY bestselling author JANICE MAYNARD knew she loved books and writing by the time she was eight years old. But it took multiple rejections and many years of trying before she sold her first three novels. After teaching kindergarten and second grade for a number of years, Janice turned in her lesson plan book and began writing full-time. Since then she has sold over thirty-five books and novellas. Janice lives in east Tennessee with her husband, Charles. They love hiking, traveling and spending time with family.
Hearing from readers is one of the best perks of the job!
You can connect with Janice at twitter.com/janicemaynard, facebook.com/janicemaynardreaderpage, www.wattpad.com/user/janicemaynard, and instagram.com/janicemaynard.
For Caroline and Anna: beautiful daughters, dear friends, exceptional women …
Contents
“I want you to push me to my limits. So I can prove to you that I can handle it.”
Patrick stared across his paper-cluttered desk at the woman seated opposite him. Libby Parkhurst was not someone you would pick out of a crowd. Mousy brown hair, ordinary features and clothes at least one size too big for her slender frame added up to an unfortunate adjective. Forgettable.
Except for those eyes. Green. Moss, maybe. Not emerald. Emerald was too brilliant, too sharp. Libby’s green eyes were the quiet, soothing shade of a summer forest.
Patrick cleared his throat, absolutely sure his companion hadn’t intended her remark to sound provocative. Why would she? Patrick was nothing more to her than a family friend and a prospective employer. After all, Libby’s mother had been his mother’s best friend for decades.
“I appreciate your willingness to step outside your comfort zone, Libby,” he said. “But I think we both know this job is not for you. You don’t understand what it involves.” Patrick’s second in command, Charlise, was about to commence six months of maternity leave. Patrick needed a replacement ASAP. Because he had dawdled in filling the spot, his mother, Maeve Kavanagh, had rushed in to supply an interviewee.
Libby sat up straighter, her hands clenched in her lap, her expression earnest and maybe a tad desperate. “I do,” she said firmly. “Maeve described the position in detail. All I’m asking is that you run me through the paces before I have to welcome the first group.”
Patrick’s business, Silver Reflections, provided a quiet, soothing setting for professionals experiencing burnout, but also offered team-building activities for high-level management executives. Ropes courses,